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Opel Adam Officially Unveiled Prior To Paris Motor Show (With Video)

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After being spotted totally naked in spy photos, Opel and Vauxhall have decided to officially release information on the Adam, what Opel is calling its “first fashionable urban car.” It’s hard to disagree with its two-toned paint scheme and sculpted exterior features.

Underneath the small hood (or bonnet, if you prefer) will lay a choice of three ecoFLEX four-cylinder petrol engines. These include a 1.2-liter 70 hp (70 PS) engine, and a pair of two 1.4-liter engines tuned to either 87 hp (87 PS) or 100 hp (100PS). All engines will be available with optional Start/Stop technology and will be mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. There’s also an electric power steering system that includes a dedicated CITY mode which increases power assistance at lower speeds at the flick of a switch. There’s also the obligatory hill-start-assist system.

The chassis itself is a super compact 145.6 inches (3.7 metres) in length and 67.7 inches (1.72 metres) in width and is made of a high-strength steel shell. Within this amount of space, engineers managed to integrate front, side and head curtain airbags as well as something call dual-seat-pre-tensioners at the front seats which are meant to offer additional knee and leg protection.

Proportionately, the Opel Adam — which will be built in Germany — features a front track of 58.4 inches (1485 mm) and a rear track of 58.1 inches (1478 mm). A wheelbase of a scant 91 inches (2311 mm) is supported by MacPherson struts fitted to the front axle while the rear axle features a torsion beam compound crank design.

To clear the air, the little Adam cannot be compared to a tin can with seats thanks to its myriad of creature comforts that will be offered. The infotainment system is designed to support Bluetooth, along with Apple and Android smartphones. In doing so, this enables access to internet-based applications, including GPS navigation (and probably internet radio) via a seven-inch touch screen display. Oh, and there’s an optional heated steering wheel — a first for the mini car segment. There’s also a child safety seating system in the rear bench seats, while featuring a 50:50 folding split.

Also a first is the Adam’s available second-generation Advanced Park Assist (APA II) system. With the push of a button, the system is engaged, and notifies drivers as they pass a parallel parking space large enough to accommodate the car. Then the system automatically steers the vehicle into the parking space, while the driver controls the brake, clutch and gear application. With this system comes the ultrasonic-based Side Blind Spot Alert system. There’s even an available set of 18-inch wheels.

As reported previously, the new Adam offers a different take on trim levels. As Opel describes it, rather than having the layered trim hierarchies, customers can choose from three different “trim moods or worlds”: JAM, the unconventional, fashionable and colorful, GLAM: an elegant, refined and sophisticated configuration, and SLAM: the sporty trim. These configurations are meant to set the stage for heightened personalization with a wide choice of exterior colors, three roof colors, different interior colors, decors and various headliners, such as a sexy “starlight” LED accented roof trim.

Attendees of the 2012 Paris Motor Show (September 29 – October 14, 2012) will be able to gauge the Opel/Vauxhall Adam’s proportions in the sheetmetal, which will be the first time it’s officially displayed. Not far after, the first batch of the Fiat 500 fighters will hit the showrooms in January 2013. Additionally, it’s not quite clear yet as to weather or not this signifies the end of the Agila or not.

So, readers, what do you think? And does it warrant a spot in the Buick family?

Why would the Adam replace the Corsa? They are different sizes so they compete in different areas. The question about the advanced park assist only in Europe and not the US of A, well, that is a question that doesn’t need to be answered.

The Opel Adam looks like an impressive little car. It reminds me of the new Citroen DS line of cars with distinctive looks, colors, wheels, etc. The size is a great fit for Europe, the UK and other markets where streets are narrow and there is a paucity of parking.

However, I question how big the market is in the US. In the first 6 months of 2012, Fiat sold 20,706 of the 500. MINI, the car division (all variants), sold only 22,799 units. The big sales for MINI comes in its “truck” division with the extremely popular and much larger (but still low volume – 9,260 units) Countryman. Both the Fiat 500 and MINI Cooper command premium prices for their size.

If the Adam immigrated to the US with a Buick shield, it too would have to command a premium price to be profitable. It’s different enough from the Sonic and Spark econoboxes sold at Chevrolet, so I think it has possibilities. It brings a younger “cool” factor that you don’t see with other Buicks. I also don’t think the Encore, with its bland econobox styling, will move that “hip” meter at all. I do, however, believe that the Adam, assuming it doesn’t get an inappropriate Buick “waterfall” grille, could be just the product Buick needs to break through the “old man car” albatross. In this case, just change the badges and you’re done.

Opel is a brand name still remembered. This Adam should arrive as an Opel so it can compete as a German minicar against the other European minicars, such as the Fiat 500 and the Mini Cooper, and the Asian minicars from Japan and South Korea. If GM cannot produce a minicar in America, this is the next best deal.

If GM can figure out how to take the niche out of these cars they will sell here; people have seen right through the Mini and the Fiat 500, they just are not that great, my understanding is that the Mini is garbage… GM can clean house with this vehicle if marketed right.

YES. DEFINATELY. This little car should make it here as a Buick. This would be that entry-level fun car that Buick lacks. Yes, it’s a city car. Yes, it’s tiny and only practical for a few. But it’s potential is large, and an EV version should follow.

Two features I think hit squarely in the breadbasket of this potential market are: The integrated – slide out bicycle rack and the LED twinklies in the headliner. Perfect! These are the types of gadgety add-ons that our younger customers crave. Much ado has been published re: the gen Yers not buying cars. This is a generation who has been spoon-fed technology. The car-guys of tommorrow festoon their rides with LED glow interior and underlighting and cannot live without texting, Bluetooth and infotainment.

When GM rolls out design studies to get the pulse of what young people want ( and women )….THIS is what they want: Style and attitude – engaging features like that bike rack, which is indeed original – haven’t ever seen anything like it.

@James – I have to agree that the pull-out bumper bike rack is trick and I’d love to see that come here. The LEDs, while now mandatory on a luxury vehicle, are a nice touch on the Adam. The infotainment system looks great too and if they really wanted to distinguish the Adam in the US market, they would make that standard – part of the Buick premium.

I leased a MINI Clubman S for 2 years. While I absolutely hated it, I still liked it better than the Fiat 500 I tested. My biggest gripe was the punishing sports suspension, uncontrolled torque steer and a cabin so noisy I had to shout to be heard on the telephone Bluetooth at highway speeds. Just awful. So there is room in this tiny market for improvement and this is an area at which Buick should excel.